Macbook owners: heat question

[glitch44]

I don't own a Macbook, but I'm considering getting one. My one fear is the heat that everyone mentions.

I'm curious: Is this after normal use or is it from really CPU intensive stuff?
I went down to the Apple Store and I couldn't fear a lot of heat radiating off the back left of the Macbooks like everyone says.

I should note that I'll only use it for email/document writing/surfing so would the Core Duo underclock itself automatically?

Can I force it to underclock so it doesn't get too warm?

Thanks for any insight...

 

[ricgnzlzcr]

It does run pretty hot when you have a lot of stuff open and it can get irritating though it is not burning like many people whine about. My old powerbook and the ibook also get that hot sometimes.

 

[mgthrall]

I've been using my MacBook heavily every day since I got it. I run games (WoW, Warcraft III, X2 ... ), Neo Office, Safari, aMSN, and other various applications. Sure, the computer heats up a bit, but it has never been an issue for me. I use my MacBook on a desk or on a chair pulled up the couch. No problems at all.

I wouldn't recommend putting *any* notebook/laptop computer bare against my lap. They all get hot, and they all will most likely be a little uncomfortable. I've picked up my MacBook *while* playing WarIII, and it didn't burn me, scald me, or even make me flinch. Yes, it was warm to the touch, but a piece of toast is warmer than my MacBook.

If your primary concern in a new MacBook is heat, then I'd go pick one up. It's not as big of an issue as it has been made out to be. I have a 2.0Ghz MacBook with 1g of ram. I can't imagine a better piece of hardware.

 

[xfiftyfour]

yeah, i agree with the first two posters. my macbook gets warm, certainly, but not scalding or anything..

 

[glitch44]

it's good to hear the heat isn't as big a problem as others say.

my only other concern is the keyboard--

did you eventually get used to the lack of "key throw" after a while?

 

[aristobrat]

I love my MacBook keyboard.

What do you mean by "throw"? When you press a MB key, the key does move down like any other keyboard I've ever used.

 

[quadgirl]

The Macbook is truly a wonderful laptop.

If I want to use it on my lap I have to be wearing jeans, definitely not bare legs. In a warm room, the left side of the keyboard can also get warm and the hinge to the screen very warm.

The keyboard is a little odd at first but I quickly began to prefer it than my old Powerbook G4 1.33. It's very responsive and I can type very quickly on it.

When doing intensive work, I put mine on an icurve and just use the bluetooth keyboard and mouse. I don't need to touch the warm side of the keyboard and the underside receives more airflow.

 

[Bern]

Those complaining about heat are cry babies who would also complain about the milk in their bottles being too hot as well. Considering the chip inside the MacBook it gets no hotter than would be expected. I've used mine on my lap and I'm still walking. Think about it, if it got as hot as some people claimed then it would probably start melting.

 

[mgthrall]

my only other concern is the keyboard--

did you eventually get used to the lack of "key throw" after a while?

The keyboard is one of my favorite features. The keys go down easily, and they pop up nicely. At first the spacing was a little of an issue, but I realized that was more due to the way I typed. Now, I've adjusted. I can honestly say that I don't miss my old keyboards at all. I like the way the MacBook keyboard feels. I hope they change the Pro line to match in case I upgrade sometime in the future.

I'd say your biggest fears are pretty unwarranted. You know you want it...

 

[Jiddick ExRex]

Those complaining about heat are cry babies who would also complain about the milk in their bottles being too hot as well. Considering the chip inside the MacBook it gets no hotter than would be expected. I've used mine on my lap and I'm still walking. Think about it, if it got as hot as some people claimed then it would probably start melting.

Yet you cannot generalize from your own. Some moos, some whines, they are all different, so remove both your eye patches and stop complaining about other people's reactions.

 

[Bern]

Yet you cannot generalize from your own. Some moos, some whines, they are all different, so remove both your eye patches and stop complaining about other people's reactions.

Er... I'm not complaining?? but thanks for your valuable input to the original post.

 

[imacintel]

I use my presario notebook as a heating blanket

 

[dsnort]

I love my Blackbook. It does get a bit warm, personally I only notice it when I pick it up to move it, I don't work on my lap. The heat on your bare skin can be, "surprising". About the temp of a really good hot bath. (Stings, but doesn't scald)

 

[aristobrat]

Considering the chip inside the MacBook it gets no hotter than would be expected. I've used mine on my lap and I'm still walking. Think about it, if it got as hot as some people claimed then it would probably start melting.

You're not trying to make the point that because the MacBook has a Core Duo "chip" inside of it that it's "just a given" that the case temperature is going to be hot, are you?

If so, someone forgot to tell Dell and Lenovo. Dell's D620 is a warm running machine and it still comes in cooler than the MacBook. At work our Lenovo T60s cases don't even get warm, much less hot.

Perhaps everyone in the US that feels like their MacBooks are too hot now will feel differently when it's winter time up here like it is for Australia.

 

[jbusc]

I'm not a big fan of the macbook keyboard, but it's no worse than any other laptop keyboard I've ever used. I think I'm just picky about keyboards.

My only (real) complaint though is that the keys kinda make a lot of noise when typing. If I'm typing in a public place (esp. a library) I feel like I'm bothering other people with the clicking. It's not too bad though.

Heat is not too much of a problem. Just keep the bottom of the macbook away from your...umm...sensitive regions and you'll be fine. I can use it while it's sitting on my legs just fine. Little warm, but managable. Maybe gets a little too hot for that when I'm compiling big projects in Xcode.

 

[olivia]

i agree with the other posters; yes the macbook gets hot after some use, but it's never too hot on the top, and the bottom of the book- though hot- is never hot enough to burn or even that uncomfortable. Nothing that a layer between the macbook surface and your skin can't fix.

also, i love the keyboard. i didn't even notice that it didnt have...key throw did you call it? I don't really know what that is, but all I know is that this keyboard is great to use and when i was transferring files onto this from my dell, all i could notice was how soft and mushy the keyboard on the dell seemed after using the one on the macbook.

it's also incredibly quiet and absolutely perfect. (week 29)

 

[Saerd]

I've been using my MacBook heavily every day since I got it. I run games (WoW, Warcraft III, X2 ... ), Neo Office, Safari, aMSN, and other various applications. Sure, the computer heats up a bit, but it has never been an issue for me. I use my MacBook on a desk or on a chair pulled up the couch. No problems at all.

I wouldn't recommend putting *any* notebook/laptop computer bare against my lap. They all get hot, and they all will most likely be a little uncomfortable. I've picked up my MacBook *while* playing WarIII, and it didn't burn me, scald me, or even make me flinch. Yes, it was warm to the touch, but a piece of toast is warmer than my MacBook.

If your primary concern in a new MacBook is heat, then I'd go pick one up. It's not as big of an issue as it has been made out to be. I have a 2.0Ghz MacBook with 1g of ram. I can't imagine a better piece of hardware.

As if I should say it myself. The machine is just great. (Got a Black one.)

 

[nermal0]

My Macbook does get very hot, no matter if it's idle or not, no matter how many apps are open. If I put it on a table I don't notice much. Putting it on my lap gets unbearable after 30 minutes. People in Australia might be used to getting their skin burned, but as a middle-European it does get very uncomfortable on the lap.

 

[okwhatev]

My Macbook does get very hot, no matter if it's idle or not, no matter how many apps are open. If I put it on a table I don't notice much. Putting it on my lap gets unbearable after 30 minutes. People in Australia might be used to getting their skin burned, but as a middle-European it does get very uncomfortable on the lap.

I agree. I have two black Macbooks in my household, and after using it now for almost three months, I have to say it's the only downside to the computer. Doing normal tasks the compter seems to run around 160-173F, and man.... when you really crunch it... it hits 180-195F every time. I think, regardless of the chip, this is just too hot for a laptop to run. Macbook has specific comments in its user manual that the computer may burn you if you leave it on your lap. They also specifically call it a 'portable computer/notebook' and not a laptop. This is kind of odd. I never ever was uncomfortable with my Powerbook G4 1.5ghz 12" in my lap, so the added 70-90F degrees of the Macbook is a bit of a shock. Don't get me wrong, I love my Macbook, but I find myself taking out the Powerbook and using it more often (as I'm writer) simply because it's much more comfortable to write for hours curled up on the couch (or bed) with the nice cool Powerbook in front of me rather the 165 degree Macbook. I think it's also much more noticable in Summer in California, since it's already hot. Working on my Macbook for too long requires me to turn on the air conditioner. And this is kind of a pain... as I'd rather use the Macbook since I'm a fan of the keyboard and, especially, the brighter screen but find myself using my old Powerbook the majority of my computing hours a day.

 

[pfb]

Yup. They are hot. I even had apple swap out my early MBP for the latest revision, and as the apple tech claimed (though I absolutely did not believe him!) the new one is just as hot...

I use my GF's Powerbook G4 15" every once in a while and am surprised how cool the thing runs.

All that said, If mine where to smash to bits today, I'd buy another one tomorrow!

 

[Mackilroy]

Doing normal tasks the compter seems to run around 160-173F, and man.... when you really crunch it... it hits 180-195F every time.

Man. My computer runs 40-50 degrees cooler than yours doing 'normal' tasks… and pretty much the same when I push it hard.

The vast majority of MacBooks do not run hot. Sure, it's warm, but not hot. I've got mine on my lap right now and it's not uncomfortable at all.

 

[aristobrat]

For folks that haven't seen it, there's a website that tracks Intel Mac CPU temperatures.

For the MacBook, the average CPU temperature of the 163 MacBooks entered so far is:

57'C (135'F) at idle
81'C (178'F) under load

 

[QCassidy352]

yeah, i agree with the first two posters. my macbook gets warm, certainly, but not scalding or anything..

same. runs at about 67-70 C with several programs going at once. I can use it on my lap, but start to sweat after a while.

 

[Jollins]

Apple likes to make their notebooks as thin as possible, and use fans as sparingly as possible to cut back on noise. It's how Apple has always been, from what I've gathered. When you combine these two design choices in a notebook, you get a hot notebook.

I personally don't find the heat to be bothersome, but it is considerably more hot than the much-thicker Core Duo PC notebooks I've used.

 

[n8236]

I have one of the earlier mbps and when it is OFF the charger, it's fine on the lap. But once it requires charging and plugged into the power adapter, you better have jeans or a somewhat insulated layer on top, otherwise it could "potentially" give you a somewhat nice little burn.

But I don't think you will have anything too much to worry about since many reports are suggesting the ones out at the moment mostly run warm. Also, if you're so unlucky to get one of the hot ones where it runs 71-73*C (mine) on ~75% idle and 82*C before the fan kicks in, Apple has acknowledged the heat problems and will replace the main logic board under warranty.

These laptops are great and I wouldn't trade it in for anything else. But if you can wait another month, i'm sure the Core2Duos (aka Conroe) will prove to be even better.